This thesis will show that the collective memory does not pose a problem to the whole of humanity but that it still exists in some spheres of in this case American life.
Table of Contents
1. Terminology
2. Preface
3. I Introduction
4. II Theory
4.1 A Collective Memory
4.1.1 History
4.1.2 Definition
a Maurice Halbwachs
b Jan and Aleida Assmann
4.1.3 Characteristics
a Construction
b Selection
4.1.4 Trajectory
4.2 B Collective Memory and ...
4.2.1 Collective Memory and History
4.2.2 Collective Memory and Canon
4.2.3 Collective Memory and Trauma
4.2.4 Collective Memory and Time
4.2.5 Collective Memory and Place
4.2.6 Collective Memory and Identity
a Identity
b (Ethnic) Counter Identity
i Orientalism
ii Stereotypes
c Collective Memory and Identity
4.2.7 Collective Memory and Resistance
4.2.8 Collective Memory and Literature
4.3 C Hegemony, Dialogue, Therapy
4.3.1 Antonio Gramsci
a Hegemony
b Collective Memory and Antonio Gramsci
4.3.2 Mikhail Bakhtin
a Language
b Carnival
c Collective Memory and Mikhail Bakhtin
4.3.3 Hayden White
a Narrative
b Therapy
c Text and Therapy
d Collective Memory and Hayden White
4.4 D Collective Memories
4.4.1 History
a The US – A Nation of Immigrants
b Japanese in the US
4.4.2 Collective Memory
a Collective Memory in the US
b Collective Memory in Japanese America
5. III Thesis: Japanese American Literature – Counter-Hegemony, Dialogue With The Past, Therapy
6. IV Japanese American Literature
6.1 A Issei Literature – Violet Kazue de Cristoforo’s May Sky: There is Always Tomorrow. An Anthology of Japanese American Concentration Camp Kaiko Haiku
6.1.1 Background Information
a Haiku and Kaiko Haiku
b The Editor
c The Book
d The Historical Circumstances
6.1.2 Observations and Interpretation
a Observations: Collective Memory
i Communicative Memory
ii Cultural Memory
b Interpretation
i The Camp Experience
ii Theoreticians’ Relevance
c Summary
6.2 B Nisei Literature – Toshio Mori’s Yokohama, California(1949)
6.2.1 Background Information
a The Author
b The Book
c The Historical Circumstances
6.2.2 Observations and Interpretation
a Observations: Collective Memory
i Communicative Memory
ii Cultural Memory
b Interpretation
i The Camp Experience
ii Theoreticians’ Relevance
c Summary
6.3 C Sansei Literature – Dale Fututani’s Death in Little Tokyo (1996) and Perry Miyake’s 21st Century Manzanar (2002)
6.3.1 Background Information
a The Authors
i Dale Furutani
ii Perry Miyake
b The Books
i Death in Little Tokyo
ii 21st Century Manzanar
c The Historical Circumstances
6.3.2 Observations and Interpretation: Death in Little Tokyo
a Observations: Collective Memory
i Communicative Memory
ii Cultural Memory
b Interpretation
i The Camp Experience
ii Theoreticians’ Relevance
c Summary
6.3.3 Observations and Interpretation: 21st Century Manzanar
a Observations: Collective Memory
i Communicative Memory
ii Cultural Memory
b Interpretation
i The Camp Experience
ii Theoreticians’ Relevance
c Summary
7. V Conclusion
8. Afterword
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This thesis investigates how Japanese American literature across three generations utilizes collective memory as a tool to counter dominant hegemonies and heal from past traumas. The research explores how authors from the Issei, Nisei, and Sansei generations negotiate their ethnic identity through narrative, effectively transforming private and cultural memories into a source of empowerment and communal continuity within the American sociopolitical landscape.
- Analysis of collective memory theory (Assmann, Halbwachs) and its application to immigrant experiences.
- Examination of the interplay between literature, identity formation, and the historical trauma of internment camps.
- Application of Gramscian concepts of counter-hegemony and Bakhtinian dialogism to literary texts.
- Comparison of generational approaches to remembering the past and asserting identity in the US.
- Exploration of how literature serves as a form of therapy to reclaim suppressed histories.
Excerpt from the Book
A Collective Memory
According to Lillian Weissberg the idea of collective or cultural memory is based upon an ars memoria in which buildings, objects, and places have turned into theaters that help us both to recall and to construct our own historical identity in the process. (Ben-Amos 1999: 18)
Already in the sixth century, the Greek poet Simonides stated that for the Romans the art of memory was one of the five major parts of rhetoric. According to Cicero, its technique was to link mental pictures of what was to be remembered to certain places. This kind of memory concerned mainly the personal sphere of life. (Assmann 2002: 29 f.)
In the eighteenth century, time became more important than place. Renaissance restored what had been forgotten earlier and national historiography was created, among others in order for rulers to legitimate their rule. Romanticism brought together memory and nostalgia, the longing for an ideal past. (Assmann 2003: 31; 54 f.; 86)
According to Weissberg the nineteenth century concentrated on history in order to counter the memory not wished for, as well as to save what should be remembered (Ben-Amos 1999: 11).
It was not until the twentieth century, especially its second half, that memory has become a social obligation not to forget certain events (Assmann 2002: 30). It is exactly this kind of collective memory this paper is about.
Summary of Chapters
I Introduction: Provides an overview of the role of collective memory in addressing the identity crises and social fragmentation experienced by marginalized groups in postmodern times.
II Theory: Establishes the theoretical foundation by examining concepts of collective and cultural memory, the connection to history, identity construction, and the therapeutic potential of literature.
III Thesis: Japanese American Literature – Counter-Hegemony, Dialogue With The Past, Therapy: Outlines the core argument regarding how Japanese American literature challenges existing power structures and promotes healing through narrative.
IV Japanese American Literature: Offers a deep, generational analysis of selected works by Issei, Nisei, and Sansei authors, exploring their specific contributions to the ongoing dialogue between the Japanese past and the American present.
V Conclusion: Synthesizes findings across all generations, confirming that Japanese American literature has evolved into a robust mechanism for preserving community continuity and resisting assimilationist pressures.
Keywords
Collective memory, Japanese American literature, Identity, Internment, Counter-hegemony, Trauma, Cultural memory, Communicative memory, Assimilation, Ethnicity, Diaspora, Narratology, Resistance, Generations, Social construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The work examines how collective memory functions in Japanese American literature across three generations to maintain cultural continuity and counter dominant American narratives.
What are the central themes of the study?
Key themes include the impact of internment camps, the construction of ethnic identity, the role of literature in therapy and resistance, and the dialogue between Japanese tradition and American life.
What is the main objective of this thesis?
The objective is to demonstrate that Japanese American literature acts as a tool for counter-hegemony, allowing writers to reclaim their history, process trauma, and assert a distinct identity within the United States.
Which theoretical frameworks are applied?
The author uses concepts from memory studies (Jan and Aleida Assmann, Maurice Halbwachs), cultural theory (Antonio Gramsci, Mikhail Bakhtin), and historical narrative theory (Hayden White) to analyze the texts.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It provides a comprehensive theoretical framework on memory and literature, followed by specific analyses of Issei (Haiku), Nisei (Toshio Mori), and Sansei (Dale Furutani, Perry Miyake) literature.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Keywords include Collective memory, Japanese American literature, Identity, Internment, Counter-hegemony, Trauma, and Cultural memory.
How does the author define collective memory in this context?
Collective memory is viewed not as a static record, but as a socially constructed process that changes based on present needs to ensure cultural continuity and identity maintenance.
Why is the concept of "Counter-Hegemony" significant?
It explains how the marginalized Japanese American community uses narrative to subvert the dominant power structures of white supremacy and traditional American historical discourses.
What distinguishes Sansei literature according to the author?
Sansei writers, such as Furutani and Miyake, operate within more complex dialogic spaces, often incorporating political and educational dimensions to address the long-term impacts of internment.
How is the literature used as a form of therapy?
By articulating suppressed memories and refamiliarizing traumatizing events, literature allows the community to break the cycle of silence and construct a narrative of empowerment and healing.
- Quote paper
- B.A. Stephanie Wössner (Author), 2005, Collective Memory and Identity in Japanese American Literature over Three Generations, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/138114
